Railway clamp and gage.



No. 719,034. PATENTED JAR .27, 1903. A B. G. & J. NORRIS.

RAILWAY CLAMP AND GAGE;

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18. 1902..

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BENJAMIN G. NORRIS AND JAMES NORRIS, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY CLAMP AND GAGE.

sPECIFIUAClTIUN forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,034, dated January 27, 1903.

Application filed February 18, 1902. berial No. 94,609. No model-l To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN G. NORRIS and JAMES NORRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Clamps and Gages, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in railway clamps and gages; and it consists more particularly of a track clamp and gage which willhold the rails in position and allow a work-train to pass thereover withoutimmediately spiking the rails, thus saving time and labor, as the clamps and gages may be removed and the spiking and placing of the plates and rails be completed behind the work train. To accomplish this result we provide a device which gages the distance for the rails to be placed and then holds them in that position until they are afterward spiked to the ties, this result being accomplished by a device of very simple, durable, and inexpensive construction, thus rendering the same thoroughly efllcient and practical in use.

To attain the desired objects, the invention consists of a clamp and gage for this purpose embodying novel features of construction and combination of parts, more particularly pointed out in the detailed description and claims hereinafterforming a part of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of two rails of a track with a series of our invention in use thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the complete device, one end of which is engaging a rail and the other end of which is free. Fig. is a bottom plan view of one of the catches or lugs. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of our invention grasping two rails and being in an extended position. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same form in operative position. Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body of our gage, which is adapted to lie in the same horizontal plane and has formed integral therewith at its ends the two inwardly-curved lugs or cleats 2, which are adapted to allow the outer edge of the base of the rails to fit snuglyin the recess 3,

formed between the body and the under side of the cleats, said lugs or cleats having their upper ends extending a little less than half the distance of the flange of the rail and adapted to snugly inclose the outer side of said flange. Pivotally mounted by means of pins or bolts 4:, equidistant from the ends of the base, are the pivoted catches or lugs 5, which consist of the long handle portion or knob 6 upon one end and the inclined upwardly-projecting cam end 7, which provides a space between it and the base, so that the inner flange or edge of the bases of the rails may be securely engaged as the keepers are turned, and thus in connection with the cleats securely hold the rails, so as to temporarily dispense with spiking, and at the same time insure the proper distance for the rails to be apart.

It will thus be seen that by providing the catches or lugs 5 with a long handle 6 a more practical construction is afforded and one which is readily thrown into or out of engagement, as it is never necessary to loosen the pivot of the catches, as in the Williams patent, No. 682,011, over which this invention is an improvement. 'It will also be noticed that we dispense with the outer wedges of said patent and provide the handled keepers or catches which when their cammed surface engage the inner flanges of the rails the upper flange is forced into close contact with the cleats 2, and that by providing the cleats 2 integrally with the body of the gage it is never necessary to employ a wedge, as in said patent.

In the modified form, in 'Figs. 4, 5, and 6, we form the base into two sections 8 and 9 and provide each section with cleats and keepers, substantially the same as described; but the inner ends of each member are twisted, as at 10, so that their inner ends all assume a position substantially vertical to the body thereof. Provided near the extreme of the inner end of the member 8 is a pivot 12, to which is connected the end of the cam-lever 13,Whose end 14 is substantially elliptical in shape and is pivotally connected by means of thepivot 15 to the lower intermediate part of the inner end of the member 9, and thus as the handle 16 of the lever is raised the members of the gage are forced apart, as shown in Fig. 4, and

ICO

when forced downward are drawn closer together and assume the position as shown in In Fig. 7 the cleats are placed one at the end and the other a short distance from the other end,the pivoted keepers being-arranged so as to force the base of the rails into the cleats.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is evident that we provide a device of this character and for the purpose named which can be readily attached and detached to or from track-rails and which will temporarily hold the rails in position and allow work-trains to move thereover, and thus save the time of spiking the rails before the train passes thereover.

Thus it will be seen that we provide a very simple, durable, and inexpensive track gage and clamp which is thoroughly effieient and practical in use.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of this character, the combination of a base, inwardly and upwardly turned cleats formed integral with the base at its ends and adapted to extend their distance upon the upper face of the rail-flange, pivotally mounted keepers provided with cammed surfaces to engage the inner flanges of the rails and force the outer flange into close contact with said cleats, said keepers being provided with handles formed integral with the cammed surfaces upon the opposite ends thereto.

2. A device of this character comprising a base made in two sections, a pivotally-mounted cam-lever connecting the inner ends of the l sections together, and means carried by the outer ends of the section for grasping the baseflanges of two track-rails.

3. A device of this character comprising a base made in two sections, means connecting the two sections to press them apart or draw them together, an inwardly-projecting cleat formed integral withithe outer end of each section, and a pivoted keeper mounted equidistant from the cleat having a cam-shaped surface to engage the inner base-flange of the rail and force the outer flange into engagement with the cleat.

4. A device of this character comprising a base made in two sections, a pivotally-mounted cam-lever connecting the inner ends of the sections together,an inwardly-projecting cleat carried by the outer end of each section, and

' means mounted upon the sections to engage the inner base-flange of the rail and force the outer base-flange into engagement with the cleat.

5. A device of this character comprising a base made in two sections, a pivotally-mounted cam-lever connecting the inner ends of the sections together,an inwardly-projecting cleat carried by the outer end of each section, and a pivoted keeper mounted upon the base adjacent to the cleat to engage the inner baseflange of the rail and force the outer flange into engagement with the cleat.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN G. NORRIS. JAMES NORRIS. Witnesses:

H. E. MANDEVILLE, H. J. MADER. 

